The two most important aspects of a balanced offense are the quarterback and the running back. In this presentation, former Baylor Offensive Coordinator and 2013 Offensive Coordinator of the Year Philip Montgomery shares specific drills to develop your running back. Reinforcing the concept that "you have to be able to apply your drills to what you are doing on the field," he teaches each drill and then uses game film to demonstrate how each drill shows up in a game.

Running Back Technique & Drills:

Coach Montgomery begins by working the mesh of the running back and quarterback. The mesh is the most fundamental component of the Baylor running attack. Everything is built from this foundation. Stressing specific steps and angles, he still leaves room for differing types of running backs. Using chutes, bags and personnel, he creates a game-like situation that can be controlled and critiqued in all phases. Uncomplicated drills are used as learning exercises to help running backs improve and develop their techniques.

After working the mesh, Coach Montgomery focuses on lowering the running back's pads and defining their footwork. These drills teach running backs to stay square before they make their cut. The longer the running backs stay square, the longer linebackers have to wait before they can commit to the gap. Using game simulation drills, Coach Montgomery develops the running back's technique by isolating each segment of the play so that it can be controlled and critiqued.

Properly defined techniques allow you to focus on what is necessary in this offense for running backs. This allows you to personalize and individualize drills needed to improve defined segments of the running backs' game.

Play Action Passing:Help your run game succeed by keeping the defense honest and off-balance using Coach Montgomery's boots and "nakeds." Coach Montgomery uses game film to showcase play action out of the spread and eleven personnel with tight ends on the field. When a style of play or philosophy is broken down as thoroughly as it is in this presentation, it becomes easy to emulate the final product. This method of working with running backs is one you'll use again and again. It solves many problems regarding height of pads, mesh, power and making only one cut.

Produced at the 2014 Dallas-Fort Worth Red River Nike Coach of the Year Clinic.